Hyena

Romaji and English translation of the song Hyena from the album STACKED RUBBISH, the compilation album TRACES BEST OF 2005-2009, and the single Hyena by the GazettE.

I gave this the explicit tag because of sexual undertones, but there’s nothing overtly explicit in it.

Lyrics originally sung in English are in italics , and words or phrases I felt were implied are in [brackets] in the translation.

I also (usually) put repeats of chorus/verses/stanzas in [brackets] if they’re not written that way in the original lyrics for ease of singing along.

If he writes a word in the lyrics but doesn’t sing it, I put it in light grey to make it easier to skip when singing along.

I usually romajize katakana characters in CAPITALS, and keep punctuation and line spacing as close to the original booklet as possible. If you see me putting spaces before punctuation at the end of a sentence or writing things in mixed-case capitals, that’s because it’s how it was in the booklet.

Any comments I had during the romajization/translation process will be included as footnotes so as not to disturb the flow of the song. They’re not required reading, but Ruki does some pretty nifty things with his lyrics/kanji choices, or sometimes there’s further explanations about words or phrases in there.

Hyena: Romaji

“Furatsuku ashi kuse darake no koe”
“Kao wa rippa shikashi nakami wa nee”
“Odate rare sugite mahi shiten darou?”

“so handsome guy”

Ugly acting and song
Odori ga heta na Handsome
Your copulation is dirtier than money.
Unprincipled strategist
Ranyou middle aged spread
BURAUN kan no sumi de tengu kibun sa

Please disappear because it is an eyesore

You were born from the mouth?
Fushiana ni uru kobi shikanai
Your copulation is dirtier than money.
Unprincipled strategist
Ranyou middle aged spread
Hankyouran na gaki wa bishonure sa

Please disappear because it is an eyesore
It fails together if going straight.

Curtain of wine red shikibetsu dekinu
Nagasareru mama odoru yume
Sayuu ni narau ibitsu Masquerade

Kazareba nabiku ai ni
Oboreru ima no kimi ni
Muragaru no wa isshun no kyoumei
Onshitsu kuzure no Prince
Koutoubu ni SHANDERIA
Sutareta sono hi kyoumei wa Hyena

You were born from the mouth?
Fushiana ni uru kobishi ka nai
Your copulation is dirtier than money.
Unprincipled strategist
Ranyou middle aged spread
Hankyouran na gaki wa bishonere sa

Please disappear because it is an eyesore
It fails together if going straight.

Kimi no kao ni saita koe wa
Risou kasane kaigorosu yo
Ani na “towa” wa tsukai mawashi no yume

Nani iro no namida de
Nani iro no kotoba de
Nuritsubuseba sono kao de irareru?
Miesugita kizuato¹
Ataesugita uso ni
Unuboreta mama kuchiteku yo hora

Kazareba nabiku ai ni
Obore reru ima no kimi ni
Muragaru no wa isshun no kyomei
Onshitsu kuzure no Prince
Koutoubu ni SHANDERIA
Sutareta sono hi kyoumei wa Hyena

“Furatsuku ashi kuse darake no koe”
“Kao wa rippa shikashi nakami wa nee”
“Odate rare sugite mahi shiten darou?”
“HOSUTO kuzure no onshitsu yarou”
“Sakimo mire nee sakuryaku ka no”
“KETSU no shita de hikaru yume ni wa”
“Hoshikuzu hitotsu mabataki wa shi nee”
“Soreja 6² wa mukuware nee daro?”

Hyena: Translation

“A staggering walk and listless voice”
“A handsome face without substance”
“You can’t function without their unceasing praise, can you?”

[All right…]

Ugly acting and song
That’s some awful dancing, Handsome
Your copulation is dirtier than money.
Unprincipled strategist
Over-used middle aged spread
The screen³ in the corner seems proud of it, though

Please disappear because it is an eyesore

You were born from the mouth?
You have no choice but to sell flirtation through a peep-hole
Your copulation is dirtier than money.
Unprincipled strategist
Over-used middle aged spread
[Making the] half-frenzied kids⁴ sopping wet

Please disappear because it is an eyesore
It fails together if going straight.

Curtain of wine red [of wine red]     keeps them from finding out who you are [it won’t happen]
As your dancing dream     is broadcast
Your imitation of control     is distorted,     a Masquerade

If you yield to adorning yourself with their affection
If you allow yourself to indulge in that now
You’ll be surrounded by sympathizers in an instant
You’re Prince of a ruined glass house⁵
[With] a chandelier behind your head
whose day has long since passed Those sympathizers are really Hyenas⁶

[You were born from the mouth?
You have no choice but to sell flirtation through a peep-hole
Your copulation is dirtier than money.
Unprincipled strategist
Over-used middle aged spread
Making the half-frenzied kids sopping wet]

[Please disappear because it is an eyesore
It fails together if going straight]

The voice which blossomed from your lips
was so ideal that they piled on [promises of] keeping you around forever
Such an easy “permanence” is the recurring theme of [many people’s] dreams

If your multicolored tears
blotted out your multicolored words,
would you still be able to show your face?
Marred¹ by your excessive vanity,
you seem to think you’re the best thing to ever happen to this world, but it’s not true
While you’re busy being so conceited, you’re really rotting Open your eyes!

If you yield to adorning yourself with their affection
If you allow yourself to indulge in that now
Sympathizers will flock to you in an instant
You’re Prince of a ruined glass house
[With] a chandelier behind your head
Whose day has long since passed Those sympathizers are really Hyenas

“A staggering walk and listless voice”
“A handsome face without substance”
“You can’t function without their unceasing praise, can you?”
“You’re a host in a ruined glass house, you son of a bitch”
“A schemer who can’t even look ahead”
“Your shining dream is just [you talking] out of your ass”
“You’re not worth even a single twinkle of stardust”
“In which case 6² isn’t reward enough, huh?”

⁷

痕跡 konseki (trace(s), vestige(s)) is written, while 傷跡 kizuato (scar, blemish or mark) is sung. I translated it as “marred” since it seems to encompass the meaning of both words.
This whole section was not included in the original lyric booklet; I got it from an online source. It sounds like he pronounces 6 in English as “six.” I’m not sure exactly what 6 is referring to, though, sorry!
The kanji ブラウン管 buraun kan as a phrase means “cathode-ray tube, CRT, Braun tube”. I’m taking this to be a reference to a monitor – either one of the big boxy computer monitors that weigh a ton, or else some kind of TV monitor on which the subject of the song is being displayed. Basically, on a screen.
The term 餓鬼 gaki has a negative connotation, like how you would refer to bullies, delinquents, “those damn kids,” etc. – not well-behaved, innocent children. I get the mental image of horny teenagers from this line.
Glass house as in a “hothouse” or “greenhouse”. Someone who lives their life in the spotlight probably also feels like they live in a glass house, so it could also refer to that – a life that’s on display for everyone, you can’t hide behind the walls, and people can see everything – cracks and all.
Hyenas are hunters, but they’re also scavengers and dietary opportunists. They’re perfectly content to feast on the leftovers of larger predators – including rotting meat. Most cultures view the hyena in a negative light, associating it with such unsavory characteristics as uncleanliness, greed, gluttony, opportunism, and even deviant sexual behavior. They also have a cackling, laughter-like call that many associate with cruelty, mocking, or even insanity. In this respect, I believe he’s saying the “sympathizers” are fake, using a moment of weakness or insecurity to get close to the subject of the song so they can “feed” or take advantage.
So basically, my thoughts on this song are that it seems to be sung about someone who makes their living off voyeurism/”entertainment” (I’m guessing male, mostly because of the “That’s some awful dancing, Handsome” line). The line about the curtain hiding his true identity, and references to selling flirtation through a “peep-hole” bring to mind those booths where you can pay money to see a strip-tease or similar act from behind glass, while the line about the CRT/monitor could mean he’s doing something that’s being shown on the Internet or something where people can watch him from their homes (more on that in a minute).

So while he seems to think he’s God’s gift to the earth, it seems to be that the singer is trying to point out to him that physical looks are impermanent, and will fade over time (rot away), and that he’s not as skilled and “in control” as he seems to think, and he’s basically whoring himself out in exchange for fame.

The references to “over-used middle-aged spread” could be referring to how he’s being used up and doesn’t seem to realize that one day he’ll get older and it will all catch up with him. The singer also seems to be trying to warn him that the “friends” he makes (the “sympathizers”) are only after one thing – his looks/talent/fame – and not actually interested in him as a person or his troubles, and that their promises of always keeping him around are solely based on his remaining “useful.”

Now for the “more about that:” The Japanese Wikipedia article on Ruki mentions that Hyena criticizes “idols.” These are typical “boy-band entertainers” produced by such entities as Johnny’s Entertainment – cranked out, cookie-cutter J-pop packaged simply to sell without much substance. They’ve got built-in hordes of screaming, frenzied fans.

I’ve also read that corporations like Johnny’s pretty much use and throw away their talent when they’re not marketable anymore. That, and the talent doesn’t really see much of the profits even if they are an incredible success. (The band is depicted performing in a cage in the PV with screaming fans surrounding it and paparazzi climbing it to get better shots with their cameras, so possibly also a nod to how they’re trapped by their contracts and expected to produce what they’re told in order to remain popular.)

So because of all this, it’s a double-edged sword for most of the people that sign with such idol-factories – and a good reason to provide a warning to them that while they’re hot stuff now, they won’t be forever, especially once they get “too old” and get dropped because they’re not able to pull a profit for the company.